at The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew

About the works:

Drastic Action will perform two new dances which exemplify Geismar’s signature use of innovative movement languages which explore complex psychological predicaments.

urge, (EP version)

“Urge, (EP version)” investigates our desire to control ourselves, others and the world around us. Grapes figure heavily in this “anti-bacchanalia”, activating both desire and repression in the dancers. Three central dancer-subjects are joined by a “post modern chorus” of two witnesses who, part nurses/part prison guards, indirectly control the proceedings. Sometimes benevolent and sometimes threatening, they wield rolling IV poles with multi-tiered baskets of grapes and admonish the dancers about getting grape juice on the Marley dance floor. This ambitious dance-theater work continues Geismar’s ongoing exploration of props as psychological metaphors. Hyunjin Kim, Mengying Lin and J’nae Simmons are joined by chorus performers Ilana Cohen and Eunseo Park.

Music is by Jonah Parzen-Johnson. Costumes are by Mandarin Wu.

the bind

“The Bind,” for veteran dancers Jake Szczypek and Darla Stanley, urgently portrays a couple struggling to find an authentic connection. A halting, stuttering physicality of ambivalence emerges as their desire to be understood collides against their fear of self revelation.

Canadian composer and long-time Drastic Action collaborator, Annabelle Chvostek, has developed an electro-acoustic musical score for the piece. Costumes are by Mandarin Wu.